NEIGHBOURS in the usually sleepy street where a four-year-old boy was run over and killed by a 4WD on the Central Coast last night have described the harrowing scenes moments after the tragedy.

Retired couple Jan and Barry Welland said the boy's distraught mother was standing outside the holiday house the family had rented in Three Points Ave, at Macmasters Beach, screaming while the female driver tried to perform resuscitation.

"We heard these terrible screams and it just went on and on," Mrs Welland said.

Heartbreaking.... Paramedics console one another at the scene.Source:News Limited

A neighbour comforts the grandmother of the dead boy today.Source:News Limited

"We thought it was kids ... so I went to our front window that overlooks the whole scene and I said there's a tragedy.

"We just saw people all around him, giving mouth to mouth and so on.

"We went out to see what we could do and fortunately one of the surf life savers was passing and he got out and he knew what sort of resuscitation to do so then they started to work on him and they worked and worked and worked and the ambulance seemed to take a long long while and in the meantime the poor mother was absolutely screaming.

"I didn't know what to do but I felt I had to do something so I went in and got a brandy and she practically skolled that down.

"There was a lady there trying to placate her and saying 'look, you'll have to take hold of yourself because the police are going to ask questions'."

Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene shortly after 6.20pm but despite their efforts and those of the surf life saver who stopped to render assistance, the preschooler was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the 60-year-old driver of the Toyota Prado was taken to hospital where she was treated for shock and underwent mandatory blood and urine tests.

However Tuggerah Lakes Inspector Tim Winmill last night said police believed the child ran out on to the road when he was hit.

He did not expect police to lay charges against the driver.

"It's an absolute tragedy for all people involved,'' Insp Winmill said.

"The people who live in the street, the family obviously and particularly the lady driving the car."